The Adolescents Building Connections program is designed to provide the skills, understanding and learnings to encourage positive change in adolescents, to form healthy and respectful relationships

This program is aimed at young males and females (held in single gender groups) who may or are at risk of demonstrating aggression, controlling or abusive behaviours.

• 12-17 year old Males and Females
• Residing in Latrobe City, Bass Coast, Baw Baw, Wellington and South Gippsland Shires
• 10 participants per group
• Participants must have ongoing support from a youth based community support service or be supported by Secondary School welfare officers or coordinators.
• Consent must be provided by parent/guardian to participate in program.

This 10 session program will be run by qualified facilitators. The facilitators will lead discussion and activities that focus on healthy and respectful relationships, empathy, active listening, nonviolent communication, mediation and resilience. The facilitators will assess the participants’ self-awareness and growth to make positive and healthy changes, encourage the participants to understand that change takes time, practice and patience. The facilitators will challenge old ways of thinking and acting, assisting the participants in accepting responsibility for their choices and behaviour while learning to handle strong emotions, conflict and self-control.

The program will have the capacity to make referrals for individual case managed support through existing Quantum Support Services and partner agency services linkages when necessary.

Ongoing evaluation is crucial in order to ensure effectiveness of the program, and that positive outcomes are being reached.

• The participants will complete self-assessment at Week 1, Week 5 and Week 10.
• Facilitators will complete week by week impact assessments for each participant.
• An assessment of the impact of the learnings of the young people will be completed by the parent / guardian at the conclusion of the 10 week program and at 3 months.

• L17 Referrals
• Youth Justice and Youth Funded Programs or Services
• Secondary School Welfare Officers